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6.21.2011

There are movies that are bad because of poor production values, a poor script, bad acting, flawed storytelling or all of the above. Then there are movies that are bad because they deliver only cheap and base value as if that's all a viewer deserves. Showgirls is both kinds of bad movie.

I'll skip right over the laughable plot line of a nobody showing up in Vegas and "conquering" the town in less than two weeks. And I'll only briefly mention the "oh that's so sexy and daring" dance numbers that weren't. There's the issue of the vague All About Eve rip off idea that failed to offer any character we gave a damn about, which is why All About Eve was brilliant. The bottom line in Showgirls is that there's no reason to give a rat's hinder for anyone in the movie. In fact, I think we're supposed to loathe them all, especially the women. Apparently, none of the film's many backers knew the basic equation: Hate the Characters = Hate the Movie.

6.06.2011

James Carter (Chris Tucker) is exactly the kind of hero in an action movie that I loathe: brash, rude, crude, disrespectful, arrogant and thinks women are just there for him to screw or taunt. Ironically, that Carter is a royal ass is one of the reasons that I love this movie. Carter is the necessary yin to Detective Inspector Lee's yang. Another reason I love this movie is that Carter is often funny, especially when he turns all of his considerable annoying habits against the bad guys. Chris Tucker is a master at running his mouth, and he uses the skill to deliver many genuinely funny lines, capably supplied by writers who understand that the action part of the movie is just window dressing for Culture Clash meets A Fish out of Water themes.